Dry shaving device



Feb.- 3, 1942.

l. S. BODKIN EFAL DRY SHAVING DEVICE 7 Filed July 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zi ii ,mkmm

Feb. 3, 1942. I. S./BODKIN arm.

DRY SHAVING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTCRS ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb: 3, .1 42. a

. The present invention relates. shaving de' -L vices and 'more particularly to shavingldevices havingshearing elements adapted to'cut hair without the aid of lather, cream. or other shave ing-preparations. j

"I'One ofthe difficulties with "shaving devices of.

the abovetype'is that they do not enter shear hairs "asjclosely toIthe-skin as safety razor bladesm,

orhollow-ground razors, chiefly because the hairs usually must project through slots or recesses of. aguard plate mountedovertheshearing elements whichsever the hairs, ln spite of theflthinness of the. guard plate or, blades provided by the slots, the hairs are not clipped closely and acomremoved.- v g m bject of thei-inventionis to provide a shaving device having cutting. elements which paratively high degree ofzskill is required to manipulate the devicesin order .to attain good results. Invariably, a number of hairs enter the 1 slots improperly, or not at all, and are "notcut by the H cutting member. a -result, the shaving. operation-mustbe repeated several times before a clean shave is attained or shaving at morelfre quent intervals is necessary; This is objection ablebecause the time requiredto shave each day is materially increased.

Another objection to shaving devices of the above'ty'pe which arenow :known, is that the guard plate is 'usually'extremely thin and;is easily bent or otherwisedaniaged. MUCh-ldiflifculty is encountered in cleaning the devicebecause. ;thei guard plates-"must be handled-very carefully to prevent accidental bending thereof orrdulling the fbladesff; Also, the'cut ting parts are;not readily taken apart andput together.

again aftercleaning, whereby upon' operation,

they. fail to cooperate properly to cut'the hair. In--many cases, effective cleaning of the cutting elements is not feasible becausethey are *not readily accessible.

The; present invention aims to overcome. these .difficulties by providing an improved dry shaving deviceadapted-to give a close shave which com; pares with'shaves attainable by'usin-g a razor,

a dry shaving device-adapted to give a better, a shave in aminimum period of time. t' Q Another object of thein-vention is to provide a shaving device having cutting edges guarded by teeth adapted to receivehairs atthetop or sides thereof. 4 I

cleajr'iing r I I asre t fde re of seni r ingenuity on the part a ofjtheuser.

a shaving d 'avice,havinfg')av cutting he'adiwhich neednot' be held flatlyjagainst the face andxis' easily :manipulated without much practice, on the ,Another. object of the.

. Another; 10

are held resiliently in assembled;position'zand ct of the invention is I to provide ce having, cutting members which adil taken ,apart to facilitate access tor can be "properly replaced Without I Anat e a, .t this? invention' i's a-sio vme as avmgia urthenectof the invention is to provide 3 having vicej lhaving cutting teeth at both i sides' ;t ereo With-the teeth ,of one side out of alignmentw th thelteth oftheother sidewhera- "byiheuevice q n cutga dense'growth of hairmore I 'efiectivelyp .s o I .-.Other and further ob-jectsloi the invention will be obviousgiupongan understanding of the .illustrative, embodiment about tobe described, or. will be indicatedin the appended claims, and various advantages not referred? QfyA. preferred, embodirn oi the invention has V Fig. l 'is. iagmentary sideielevational view,

Partly in section, of a}; shaving vdevicef illustrating a preferredlembodiment .of: theinvention;

. Fig.2 is an .explodedeperspeetive view illus? tratir'ig the cutting elements} of the device taken apart for cleaning ion is-tozprovide a Shaving device *havingficooperating parts adapted to present the 1 hairs in suchgaj manner.

that they? can ,be cut close, to the skin without irritating the skin.g I v I v Another-obiect of th tinvention is to provide,

, ajshaving' idevice having cuttingmeinbers cooper- ,Iating to cut the hair at an: angle with respect'to 1 the 'sulfac, of the skin from which the hair is (instructed of" rugged durable I 'hich can be fi uently cleaned without 5 h damag thereof; jor -dulling of the cutting e1etohereinwil1 occur to one skilled in the' art upon employment of theinvention impractice;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 with the guard frame shown in its upper position and in dot-dash lines in its lower position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan View illustrating another modification of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the cutting elements at one side of the razor in operation.

Generally described, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a handle or" casing for a motor or vibrator, a stationary cutter secured to the end of the handle, a slidable cutter mounted on the stationary cutter adapted to be reciprocated, and a resiliently mounted guard or frame for holding the slidable cutter against the stationary cutter. now be described in detail in the above mentioned order.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 there is shown a handle I providing a casing or compartment for a mechanism adapted to operate the shaving device about to be described. Preferably, the operating mechanism is a small electric motor or vibrator (not shown) as customarily used for shaving devices of the present type, but if desired, the shaving device may be operated by manual means or a flexible shaft rotated by a motor at some remote point. The handle or casing may be constructed of parts formed of any suitable material, for example, Bakelite which is readily molded and assembled, is non-corrosive, affords good insulation, and can be easily cleaned.

The upper end of the handle may beprovided with a suitable recess or seat 2 adapted to receive the base or bottom portion 4 of a cutting head or stationary shearing element 5 secured to the handle by screws 6 or other suitableattaching means. Preferably, the cutting head has an upwardly extending flange 1 (Figs. 3 and 4) at each side thereof and a longitudinallyextending groove or channel 8 intermediate the flanges. The upper ends of the flanges diverge laterally outwardly and are inclinedat an angle of about thirty (30) degrees to provide upwardly facing portions 9 for mounting a slidable cutting member In about to be described. The upper end of each flange has a row of spaced cutting teeth H which are provided with laterally inwardly facing cutting edges l2. Preferably, these teeth and the slots or recesses l3 spacing theteeth are relatively narrow to provide a large. number of cutting teeth, per unit of length, along the side edges of the stationary cutting member.

The slidable cutting member Ill preferably is substantially V-shaped in section and has divergent flanges l4 adapted to be seated for reciprocating movement on theinclined upwardly facing portions 9 of the flanges. The free ends of the flanges l4 each have a row of spaced cutting teeth l5 provided with laterally outwardly facing cutting edges l6 adapted to cooperate with the cutting edges l2 of the stationary cutting teeth .II. To eliminate any possibility of the cutting edge l6 scraping the skin, they may be positioned slightly below the upper end l6 of the flanges. The upper end I6 is smooth and continuous to prevent any unpleasant sensation if it should engage the skin while the cutter I0 is being reciprocated.

These parts will Preferably, the free ends ll of the teeth H extend a short distance, for example about .005 of an inch, above the portion of the cutting teeth at which the shearing action takes place and act as a comb or guard while using the device. These ends I! may be blunt or rounded so that they will not abrade the skin and are adapted to press the skin downwardly to present the hairs to the cutting edges of the teeth. In this manner, the cutting action may take place very close to the ends I! of the teeth II to provide a close shave and the hairs may extend through the recesses I3 at either the top or sides of the teeth H engaging the 'skin. Also, the cooperating cutting edges l2 and I6 engage along a plane inclined with respect to the base of the stationary cutting head or parallel to the inner faces 9 of the flanges to cut or shear the hairs diagonally or at an angle through the diameter thereof. This eliminates any unpleasant pulling sensation to the skin, similar to that of using a dull razor blade and minimizes the tendency of a coarse beard or thick growth of hair to clog or jam between the cutting edges tofurther irritate the skin.

The cutting elements 5 and [0 may be readily made of tool steel or any othersuitable material adapted to be machined very accurately. If

= desired, the cutting members may be formed of a stainless steel adapted to resist corrosion or may be subjected to a special hardening process so that the teeth can be provided with very sharp edges adapted to withstand prolonged use without signs of wear or dullness. By making the cutters of a hard metal, they are less expensive, more serviceable and cannot be easily damaged when taken apart for cleaning.

The slidable cutter l0 preferably is reciprocated by a vibrating or oscillating arm [8 pivoted to the casing or handle and operated at its lower end by an electric motor '(not shown) or other suitable means. The upper end of the arm extends through. a slot or recess 3 in the base 4 of the stationary cutter and fits into a recess 23 or other suitable connecting part at the lower portion of the slidable cutter. If a recess, such as shown, is utilized, the slidable cutter can be readily removed from the vibrating arm l8 for cleaning.

In order to hold the slidable cutting member ID within the longitudinal groove or channel 8 of the stationary cutting element, a guard member I9 is mounted thereon having a downwardly projecting portion 20 adapted to fit in an upwardly facing groove 2! between the flanges M of the slidable cutting member. The guard member I9 preferably engages the inner faces 22 of the flanges M at a point below the cutting edges of the teeth and may be provided with bearing portions 24 adjacent the respective ends thereof, and a recess 25 intermediate the bearing portions 24. for spacing the sides of the guard member l9 from the slidable cutting member Hi. In this manner, the engaging surfaces of these parts are less likely to wear and the recesses 25 facilitate access for lubrication of the engaging surfaces. I

The upper surface 26 of the guard member preferably is smooth'and either fiat or slightly curved to provide a portion suitable for engaging the surface of the skin, and preferably extends slightly above the teeth of the slidable cutting member H] to cooperate with the teeth ll of the stationary cutter and depress or stretch the skin to present the hairs to the cutting edges of the teeth. In practice, it has been found that edges to move slightly apart v 2;.27250811 od; results can beobtained without swellin or injuring the; skin if the upper surface 25 of the guard member, at the sides adjacent to; the movable .cutter, extends upwardly therefrom about .002 to .005 of an inch. .This enables a:

closer shave thancan be attained with devices, having a thin sheet metal guard plate above the movable cutten- Preferably, the guard member ismade of tool steel and can be accurately ma'- Y, 1.0 v I be held downwardly againsttheslidable cutting member injanysuitw able manner; but preferably is mountedon .a frame adapted to beraised to facilitate access chined within close limits..-

The guard member [9 may to the slidable' cutting member. Such a frame maycomprise a pair of arms or link members 30 each having its upper'end pivoted to one end .of

ber-xfor orienting itself while being peated' t ezsroovell ofathefslidable member.

-*In'iEig..5 there; is illustr'at d a. modified frame construction; for [holding the; guard member. l 9- inoperative position I wherein the links 301 are pivotally attachedto guard member and'the shaft.

- or rod3l for sidewise 'movement with the reciprocating cutter.. To accomplish this. the links may be cons tructed in three parts and may 6 m... prise an upper member l.connectedtotheguard I |9,..a lower member52'connected to' the shaft or rod 3 l and. a link. member 30' intermediate. the

I upper..and;lower membershaving its respective the guard member in any'suitable manner, and. 4

a shaft or rod 3| having the other end of each link member attached. thereto. Preferably, the link members are arbored to the shaft so that both link members'are .adapted to rotate simultaneously with the shaft. .The shaft extends through a slot or recess 32 in the upper portion.

of the handle for permitting the frame to .be raised upwardly withrespect to the cutting head.

In order to facilitate manual; engagement of the link members, they may, be bowed outwardlyslightly at 34 and may-be provided with amilled I orknurle d surface 35.

Suitable means for normally holding the shaft downwardly are employedwand-preferably comprise a pairof slidablepins or plungers, 36' mountedin apertures 31 formed inthecasing and spring members 39 seated in the apertures above the pins for-urging them downwardly against the partsv is facilitated and the transversely extend: V I ing pins cooperate? :therewithjto prevent long-itudinal. bending thereon] -While the links. are shown herein hinged at; two points, in some instances it may be desirable to provide a single hinge connection, either at the upper or.- lower jendof the link;

The above construction attainsl several advantageous resultsfjFor example, the hinge conshaft 3|. In order to-keep the pins in-1=engage-,

ment with the shaft at all times, the lower ends 40 of thepins may be. recessed to fit about thec .top andsides of the shaft .(Figs.fi3 and 4).. Also,

it will'be noted thatspring'members 39 are retained against upwardmovement by the underside of the base of the stationary cutting head which closes the upper. ends of the apertures (Figs. 1 and 4). Although other locking means its lower position,- resilient means are preferred due to the springy engagement of the slidable may be utilized for holding. the guard frame in to other types of cutting elements'.

nectionsfacilitate seatingthe guard in its proper, positionpn the. slidablecutter after .the parts have been cleaned.' reciprocated sidewise bythe slidable cutter to reduce friction between the guard and cutter.

While =the' above frame constructions for re movably'mountinga lguard member are particu-j larly adapted to be used: with, the-improved cut-r ting elements describedhereimit will be understood that manyfeatures thereof 'are applicable 1 In 6a, modified ,st tionarycutter is illustrated having a' row of cutting teeth spaced byslots 5B-at onevside and another row of teeth 5'l spaced byfslotsgiil atthe other side; The teeth 55 and 5.1; as. indicated-bythe line M ex-' cutter by the guard. Hence, if any foreign substance should get between the cuttingedg'esand tend to jam the cutting elements, the spring I mounting yields slightly allowing the cutting until the foreign substance'is discharged. H I f The frame carrying, the guardv member. is

' adapted to beraised in opposition to the springs I and swing to thefront or back side of. the handle to permit access tothe slidable cutter, In order to guide the linkswhenthe frame is raised. and oscillated, the ends of the, handle have sub-.

stantially V-shaped recesses 45 (Fig. 2) provide ing shoulders 46 adapted toact as stops for limiting movement of the links 30.. These recesses 45 are readilyformed in the handle without increasing the cost thereof. While the frame is tending transversely across-the cutter; are not in alignment but arekstaggered with. respect to each other; In thismanner, when-the cutter is moved acrossthe surface? ofthe skinIhairs which do not enter the slots 56-:enter-the slots 58' and 'arecut. Thissimplifies and expedites the shaving operation because stray hairs willnot; be

missed and-the device need only be applied-once to the surface to be shaved. I p I I In} enlarged Fig. 7:,oneside of the shaving device described herein is shownwhile being -.used. The. topf of the shaving head is illustrated applied flatlyyagainst' the surface of the skin so that the u perlside 26 of the-guard member and the combraised and swung away from the top of the cutting head; theguard -member preferably is held against rotating freely between the upperends of the links. To accomplish this, the upper ends of the links have inwardly-facing projections 49 providedwith a substantially flat lower surface 50 (Figs. 3 and 4) for engaging the upper surface 26 of the guard member. Usually, the projections are spaced slightly above the guard member to permit slight tilting movement of the guard mem- 5 this figure; theothersidewillaoperatelin asimilar depress the skin. S and present the hairsEH -;to the cutting edges 1| 2' and.- l Got the teeth. While onlyv one side of the cuttingelementsis shownin mannerto simultaneously. cut hairs." yByprovidshaveby only goingyover' the skirronce. Also; good results canbe' obtained by.; -using ing two edges; the device; in jeffect,' g ives a double only the teeth at one side of theheadat a time.

V For. example, the cutter-neednot..be. held :fiatly against the surface of. the skin, but'may be tilteds i h y with respect theretozgso tha th teet Also, the guardcan be at one side are out ofengagement. Asa result, the handle need not be held perpendicularly with respect to the skin,- an awkward position which requires a great deal of practice by the user. a The present device can be used more nearly like a safety razor and can be held in a more natural position which is less tiring.

It will be noted that the present device cuts the hairs without the necessity of a slotted guard plate and presents the cutting edges close to the skin somewhat like a blade while the skin is held out of contact with the movable cutter by the outer teeth II and the guard member. The degree of closeness of the shave is thus accurately determined and maintained by the dimensions of the guard member and the cooperating cuting teeth. For example, excellent results are attained by providing the cutting edges 12 and [5 of the teeth from .002 to .005 inch from the ends of the teeth II and having the surface 26 of the guard member a similar distance above the cutting edges. The ends l6 of the flanges of the movable cutter extend slightly above the teeth and are smooth so that if they do engage the skin, they will have no irritating effect. Any engagement of the skin by the smooth end I 6' results in a pleasing, invigorating, massaging sensation. Also, it will be observed that the cutting plane is inclined at an angle with respect to the face and has a razor like action when shearing the hairs.

The present shaving device is primarily designed to shave the heard from the face, but is also adapted to remove superfluous hair from any part of the body. For example, women will find it very useful for shaving under the arms or removing hair from the arms or legs. Since the skin at those places is relatively delicate and tender, the fact that the present device does not irritate the skin is an important feature. The teeth are adapted to shave long or short hairs and a beard which is coarse or fine.

When the shaving device has been used and it is desired to clean the cutting elements and remove hairs which have collected between the parts, the user grasps the knurled portions 35 of the links 30 with the thumb and a finger While holding the handle with the other hand, raises the frame as illustrated in Fig. 4 and swings it across the head, as indicated by the arrows F, to the position shown in Fig. 2. The slidable cutter l0 may then be lifted out of the channel 8 and may be wiped off with a dry rag. The edges of the flanges l carrying the stationary teeth are also accessible and may be similarly cleaned. The slidable cutter thereafter is replaced and the guard member is mounted thereon to hold it resiliently against the stationary cutter.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, inexpensive shaving device constructed of a minimum number of parts which are readily assembled and taken apart for cleaning or inspection. i A feature of the device is that the cutting action takes place in a plane inclined with respect to the surface of the skin While the teeth of the cutting elements and the surface of the guard member cooperate to present the hairs to the cutting edges and make a close shave possible. Another feature is that cutting teeth are effective to sever hair when either the top or sides thereof engage the faces to provide the sides of the cutting head with a cutting radius of at least ninety degrees. This enables the device to be used for shaving the beard and trimming the sideburns or mustache. A further feature is the resilient mounting for the slidable cutter and the guard member which is easily removed to clean the' cutting elements. Also, the guard when replaced, is guided into proper position to assemble the cutting elements in cooperating relation without skill or ingenuity on the part of the user. By providing cutting edges at each side of the head, a quicker and cleaner shave is feasible. Also, the cutter head need not be held flat against the face because, if tilted, the teeth on one side are always effective to sever the hairs. The parts of the'deviceare inexpensive to manufacture and rugged in construction and can readily withstand any rough usage to which they may be subjected. As various changes may be made in the form,

construction and arrangement of the parts herein Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a member having a longitudinally extending groove in the upper side thereof and upwardly and outwardly inclined cutting teeth adjacent said groove, and a V-shaped member mounted in said groove adapted to be reciprocated with respect to said first member, said second member having upwardly and outwardly inclined cutting teeth the extremities of the V- shaped sides in sliding contact with the teeth of said first member to provide a cutting plane inclined at an angle with respect to the surface of the skin from which hair is to be removed, the ends of the teeth of said first member extending upwardly and outwardly beyond the teeth of said second member, thereby serving as a guard during the cutting operation and the ends of the teeth of said second member being rounded to depress the skin during the cutting operation.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a cutting head having an upwardly facing channel and a row of cutting teeth at each side of the channel, a slidable member mounted in said channel having a groove on the upper surface thereof and a row of cutting teeth at each side of the groove with cutting faces thereon facing the cutting teeth of the cutting head and adapted to cooperate with the teeth of said stationary member, and a normally stationary guard member having relatively smooth edges and a portion fitting into the groove for holding said slidable member in the channel, the teeth of said intermediate slidable member being below a plane passing over the surface of the adjacent cutting head and guard member.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a cutting head having a row of cutting teeth at one side thereof, a slidable member mounted on said cutting head having a row of cutting teeth adapted to cooperate with the teeth of said cutting head, a guard member above said slidable member, a pivotally mounted link member connected to each end of said guard member, and resilient means for urging said link members downwardly to hold said guard member against said slidable member. Y

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a handlehaving a slot extending therethrough, a cutting head attached to the upper end of said handle, a slidable cutting member mounted on said cutting head, a guard member for holding said slidable member against said cutting head, a link member connected to each bination of a handle each end connected to one ofFsaid link members,

and means for normally holding-said shaft'menie v "ber downwardly'iri the slot. f..In a device of the class therethrough, a cutting headattached 'tofthe upper'end of saidha-ndle, a slidablecuttingfmember mounted on said cutting head, a-guard men iber for holding said slidable member againstfsaid cutting head,a link member-connected-to each "end of'said guard member,-ashaft-ifierhberextehding through the slot in said "handle haying each end connected to one of said link members, and resilient means concealed within said handle for holding said shaft -member downwardly in the slot.

'- }6'. In a device of the class described, the combination of a handle having a slot extending eescrite t ne com having a slot-extending IO-slidable;memb'er"mounted inthe groove of said.

s'tationa'ry'member having a series of laterally the'cutting'edges'oftheiteeth' of said stationary therethrough, a cutting head attached to the upper end of said'handlaa slidable cutting mem- {ber mounted ongsaid cutting head, a guard mem- I ber for holding sa1d slidablemember against said "cutting head, av linkfmemberconnected to each? end of said guardmember and extendin'g along l the sides 'of said handle member, said link members having a portion to facilitate manual engagement thereof, a shaft member extending through the slot in said handle having each end connected to one of said link members, and re-, I

silient means for holding-said shaft members downwardly in the slot.-

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a cutting head...having a row of cutting teeth, a slidable cutting member mounted on said cutting "head'having'a row of cutting teeth adapted to cooperate'with the teeth of said cutting head, a. guard member for slidably' mounting said slidable cutting member, link means connected to said guard member, said link means having a hinge between the ends said- 1inkmembers.

tamper "end' of said-guard member; ashaft meiril handle membei' tower-hove said guard member tending through the slo't in saia hanme 1 ing fr'om"said'head,;= said-v shaped shoulders of said -casingserving as stops-for limiting-oscillation of a 10. In a device of, thevclass' described, the cambinationof astationarymember having a groove therein and a series oflaterallyextending cuttingteeth provided with inwardly facing cutting "edges substantially in the form of a V, a V-shaped extending cutting teeth provided iwith outwardly facing cutting edges adapted to cooperate with -ber extending longitudinally over said slidable 'member for holding one cutting member against the other with the side edges thereof terminating adjacent but laterally spaced'from the "cutting, teeth o'f' sa'id slidable member.

' "11.';In"a device of the class described, the combinationof a cutting head having a longitudinally -'extending channel in the upper side thereof and arrow of cuttingteethat each side of the channel, the teethat one side of the channel being staggered with-respect to the teeth on the other side of the channel, a slidable cutting member mounted'in thechannel' having a groove o'nthef uppersur'face 'thereofforming a pair of spaced finclinedff side portions having teeth adjacent thereof to permit sidewise movement of said guard member, and means connected to said link means adapted to hold said link-means and said guard member downwardly.

8. In a device of the class bination of a handle having. a 'slot extending therethrough, a cutting head attached to the upper ,end of said handle, a slidable cutting member mounted on said cutting head, aguard member for holding said slidable member against said cutting head, a link member connected to each end of said guard member, a shaft member extending through the slot in saidfhandle having each end connected to one of said link members, a plunger member mounted in each of said apertures having a recessed portion adapted to engage said shaft member, and a resilient member in each of said apertures having one end thereof engaging the underside of said cutting head and the other end thereof engagingsaidj to be raised and oscillated with respect to said.

described, the comtheir outer edges' adapted to cooperatewith the teeth of ,said'cuttinghead and a guard member v I having a portion-fitting into the groove between said spaced inclined side portions for holding said slidable member in the channel.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a stationary member having later- "ally extending cutting teeth provided with lateral cutting edges facing inwardly with-respect to the central plane of the stationary member, a slidable member mounted upon said stationary member having laterally extending cutting teeth pro vided with cutting edges facing outwardly with respect to the central plane of the stationary member and adapted to cooperate with the inwardly facing cutting edges of the teeth of said stationary member, the ends 'of the stationary teeth exte'ndingupwardlyv beyond and outwardly beyond the ends of the teeth of the slidable meme ber to depress the skin and serve as a guard during cutting operation, and a normally stationary guard member mounted above said slidable member for holdingusaid slidable member against said stationary member and adapted to cooperate with the ends of thestationary teeth to depress andstretch the skin on the respective sides of the cutting teeth of the slidable member and present the surplus hair to be removed to X the cutting, edges while holding the skin away a from the cutting edges.

13.- Ina device of the class described, the combination of ahandle having a pair of divergent inclined fiange's at the upper end thereof and a substantially V-shaped "channel intermediate said flanges, said flangeshaving' cutting teeth provided with cutting edges facing said channel and a substantially V-shaped member slidably mounted in said channel having cutting teeth provided with rounded ends for depressing the yondfthe teeth of said 'slidable' member to dea press the skin and serve as-a stationary guardon-one side'of the cutting zone during the can ting operation, and a" stationary holding am-,-

with a row of cutting teeth at each side of the.

channel, a V-shaped slidable member mounted in said channel having a groove on the upper surface thereof and a row of upwardly extending cutting teeth at each side of the groove adapted to cooperate with the teeth of saidstationary member, means for reciprocating said slidable member, and a guard member having spaced bearing portions at each side thereof for engaging the inclined side walls formed by the groove of said slidable member and a recess intermediate said bearing portions.,,to facilitate lubrication and reciprocation r1 said slidable member.

15. In a device of the ss described, the combination of a handle havinga' guideway therein and a row of cutting teeth thereon, a movable cutter with a substantially V-shaped bearing surface slidably mounted in the guideway of said handle having a row of cutting teeth thereon adapted to cooperate with the row of teeth on the handle, a guard member normally extending longitudinally above said cutter, and resilient means for normally holding said guard member downwardly and for holding the said movable cutter in operative position.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination of a handle, a stationary member on said handle having an edge portion adapted to' contact the skin and a row of cutting teeth adjacent said edge portion adapted to cut hair close to the skin, a slidable cutting member on said stationary member, a guard member above said slidable member adapted to cooperate with said stationary member to hold the skin out of contact with said slidable member, a frame for mounting said guard member adapted to be raised to permit access to said slidable member, and resilient means for normally holding said frame downwardly.

17. In a device of the class described, the combination of a stationary member having a substantially V-shaped recess therein and a series of laterally extending cutting teeth at each side of said recess provided with laterally inwardly facing inclined cutting edges, a substantially V-shaped slidable member superimposed upon said stationary member and guided by said recess having a series of laterally extending inclined cutting teeth provided with; outwardly facing cutting edges adjacent and adapted to cooperate with the cutting edges of the teeth of said stationary member, the extreme outermost portions of the cutting edges of the teeth on said slidable member being exposed and spaced inwardly from the normal plane of contact of said device, normally stationary means separate from the cutting members and free of cutting teeth extending over said slidable member to depress the skin during the. cutting operation and for holding said slidable member against said stationary member, and means for'reciprocating said slidable member.

IRVING S. BODKIN. CONRAD R. SCHUMACHER. 

